Did Doc Rivers quit on the Boston Celtics? According to former Celtic Paul Pierce, no. But the reason Rivers departed for the Clippers is the same reason, Pierce says, is why he's a Net and not a Celtic.

"A lot of stuff got blown out of proportion because of the media, but Doc has always said he didn’t want to be a part of a rebuilding situation," Pierce said in a Q&A with SLAM Magazine Thursday. "I’ve always stated that the past four or five years. After the season, the owners decided they wanted to go in that direction. It made Doc look like he was quitting but at the same time it was mutual—everything was mutual at the end. The trade, Doc leaving. I didn’t want to be a part of rebuilding; Kevin (Garnett) didn’t want to be a part of rebuilding; Doc didn’t want to be part of rebuilding. I think it was all mutual."

Now, Rivers has taken over for Vinny Del Negro at the helm of the Los Angeles Clippers while Pierce and Garnett were traded to Brooklyn along with Jason Terry.

"We’ve done so much for the franchise that they wanted to help on our end," Pierce said. "So Doc went to L.A., and they sent us to Brooklyn for a chance to win a Championship. That’s pretty much the way it was. Nothing more, nothing less.

Pierce also admitted it's been a tough process to swallow, including getting to know New York City. Pierce tweeted about the traffic in the city while entering the Holland tunnel. Turns out, it wasn't really the Holland tunnel, but actually the Lincoln tunnel.